The bottom line is clear: Our vital interests in Afghanistan are limited and military victory is not the key to achieving them. On the contrary, waging a lengthy counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan may well do more to aid Taliban recruiting than to dismantle the group, help spread conflict further into Pakistan, unify radical groups that might otherwise be quarreling amongst themselves, threaten the long-term health of the U.S. economy, and prevent the U.S. government from turning its full attention to other pressing problems. -- Afghanistan Study Group

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in
an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, July 2nd. The Australian MoD is reporting that an Australian ISAF soldier was killed in a
small arms fire attack in the Chorah Valley,
Afghanistan.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in
an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, July 3rd.

Reported security incidents#1: An individual wearing Afghan army uniform shot and wounded five Nato soldiers in
eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the alliance says.
The five, believed to be American, are receiving medical treatment. The
extent of their injuries is not known. The attack took place at a Nato base in Wardak province, east of Kabul.

#2: At least one woman was killed and three others were injured, including a child, when their car detonated a hidden roadside bomb in southern Helmand province on Wednesday, local officials said. The incident took place in the Marjeh district of Helmand on Wednesday morning when the civilian car struck the improvised explosive device (IED) hidden in the road, provincial spokesman Daoud Ahmadi said.

#3: Up to 61 Taliban insurgents have been killed in military operations carried out by the Afghan forces and the NATO-led coalition troops within the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said on Wednesday morning. "Afghan police, army, intelligence agency and the Coalition Forces launched five joint cleanup operations in Baghlan, Jawzjan, Paktika, Kandahar and Farah provinces, killing 61 armed Taliban insurgents over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.#4: According to Afghan security officials, several shops were burnt after an explosion took place at 11th district of capital Kabul on Tuesday afternoon. The incident took place near Masjid-e-Kainat in Esa-e-Sewom area. A spokesman for Kabul city security chief Hashmatullah Stanekzai confirming the report said a number of shops were burnt following the incident. In the meantime reports suggest the incident took place due a gas cylinder explosion however other reports say the incident took place in Shamshad Market near Parwan Hotel.